So, does more information add more value? We decided to examine the extent to which dimensions of CSR behaviour used by various rating organizations are in fact complementary or redundant.

Rather than examining a specific rating scheme in isolation, we selected ratings data drawn from multiple sources – in essence, mimicking the approach of a savvy investor with a range of information sources at her disposal.

Specifically, we looked at the ratings produced by three organizations: KLD, Trucost and Sustainable Asset Management (SAM). All three are highly visible not only to investment managers and executives but also to general audiences more broadly. For example, the Newsweek Green Rankings lean on data from KLD and Trucost, while the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes draw on data from SAM.